Checking in on wildfires across the state as Park Fire now one of the largest on record
Firefighters are working to put out a 3,700-acre fire that broke out in southeastern Riverside County Monday afternoon. At last check the Nixon fire is 0% contained. An evacuation center has been set up at Temecula Valley High School at 31555 Rancho Vista Road, with on-site animal services. So far no buildings have been destroyed. More than 110 active fires are burning in the U.S., according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Some were caused by the weather, with climate change increasing the frequency of lightning strikes as the region endures record heat and bone-dry conditions, the Associated Press reported. The Park Fire is now one of the largest recorded in the state consuming counties of Butte, Plumas, Tehama and Shasta. Today, we get the latest on wildfires with KQED’s Dana Cronin who’s been covering the Park Fire, Jay Tracy, PIO for the Park Fire, and Christian Linnemann, who’s working with Cal Fire PIO on the Nixon Fire.
With files from LAist. Read the full story here.
President Biden’s remaining months: strategies, fulfilling promises and passing the torch to Harris
President Joe Biden is in a unique position following his decision to bow out of his campaign for a second term. He doesn’t have an election at stake, but yet, his current vice president is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. So there’s plenty at stake still. What could Biden’s strategy be during his remaining months in office? What promises might he try to fulfill? What are the challenges of passing the nomination torch to Harris, and will it matter to voters? Joining to discuss is Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News, and Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist and founder and chief executive officer of Rodriguez Strategies and former senior Obama advisor in 2008. What are your thoughts? Any promises you’d like to see the current president prioritize? Call 866-893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
What fast food joint do you wish would set up shop in SoCal?
Fast food joints in California are quite plentiful–yet for those of you homesick or interested in new food– you likely have one fast food item on your mind that isn’t readily accessible here in Southern California. Whether it’s a popular nationwide chain like Whataburger or even an overseas favorite like Nando’s, Californians are missing out on some noteworthy fast food favorites. So we put the questions out to you: What’s the fast food chain or joint that you wish would make its way to California? Join the conversation by calling 866-893-5722 or emailing atcomments@laist.com. Joining us to share their insights on the fast food industry at large is Lisa Jennings, executive editor at Restaurant Business.
Can tech help solve the Los Angeles homeless crisis? Finding shelter may someday be a click away
Billions of dollars have been spent on efforts to get homeless people off the streets in California, but outdated computer systems with error-filled data are all too often unable to provide even basic information like where a shelter bed is open on any given night, inefficiencies that can lead to dire consequences. The problem is especially acute in Los Angeles, where more than 45,000 people — many suffering from serious mental illness, substance addictions or both — live in litter-strewn encampments that have spread into virtually every neighborhood, and where rows of rusting RVs line entire blocks. Even in the state that is home to Silicon Valley, technology has not kept up with the long-running crisis. In an age when anyone can book a hotel room or rent a car with a few strokes on a mobile phone, no system exists that provides a comprehensive listing of available shelter beds in Los Angeles County, home to more than 1 in 5 unhoused people in the U.S. Joining us today on AirTalk to discuss how LA can improve its systems of tracking is Sara Reyes, executive director of SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition, Sam Matonik, associate director of data and evaluation at People Assisting the Homeless, and Adam Miller, CEO of Better Angels, an LA-based non-profit using technology to help solve homelessness.
‘Join or Die’ documentary explains how joining a club could help save democracy
In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared loneliness an epidemic in the United States. While this may have come as a surprise to some, one person who probably wasn’t surprised was Harvard Professor Emeritus Robert Putnam. In 2000, Putnam published a book called Bowling Alone in which he used heaps of data as evidence that America’s social fabric was unraveling as its population spent less time taking part in clubs, faith-based worship and other community activities that help us meet and connect with people from different walks of life. This decline in community connection, he argued, would lead to the deterioration of democracy as we know it. Little did Professor Putnam know just how prescient his research would be. In the new documentary Join or Die, brother and sister filmmaking team Pete and Rebecca Davis revisit Putnam’s book and research through a modern lens, as America finds itself deeply divided politically, and search for ways to bring us back together through a revival of community connection.
Today on AirTalk, Pete and Rebecca Davis join Austin Cross to talk about their upcoming film.
Upcoming Screenings of Join or Die:
- Wednesday, July 31st at 7:30 PM at Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica (tickets here)
- Thursday, August 1st at 7:30 PM at Laemmle NoHo 7 in North Hollywood. (tickets here)
- Friday, August 2nd at 7PM at The Art Theatre of Long Beach. (tickets here)
- Saturday, August 3rd at 1PM at Laemmle Glendale. (tickets here)
What song would you choose to represent humanity to an extra-terrestrial?
Earlier this month, NASA transmitted a hip hop song into deep space for the first time -- Missy Elliott's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" was beamed to Venus via NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN). Now, as far as we know there's no intelligent life on Venus...but if there were, that Missy Elliot song might very well have been the first exposure that lifeform had to human music. We’ll be talking about the conceptualization of this project, as well as the logistics that went into it, with the person behind it, Brittany Brown, director of digital communications at NASA. We also thought it'd be fun to pose the question to you: if you were to meet an intelligent life form from another planet and were asked to play one song or piece of music to represent all of humanity, what would you choose, and why? Join our live conversation by calling us at 866-893-5722 or by emailing us at atcomments@laist.com.
